The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Minna

  • FG to concession six hydro dams

    Fashola directs NERC to implement competition transition charges

    The Federal Government on Monday proposed to concession six hydro dams to private operators, who are expected to build, operate and transfer them.

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola broke the news at the 29th Power Sector Stakeholders’ meeting in Minna.

    He noted that it was part of the government plans to energize education institutions and markets.

    His words: “These are Government-led initiatives based on the Rural Electrification plan approved by the President in 2016 to provide access to power for rural dwellers and vulnerable members of our society.”

    He noted that the government has proposed to use six hydro dams that had been abandoned for decades, Federal Universities and some markets as anchor.

    “We proposed to use 6 (SIX) small hydro dams that had been abandoned for decades, Federal Government owned universities and some markets as anchors.

    “The 6 (SIX) hydro dams are to be concessioned to private operators to build, operate, and transfer.”

    The minister said that he has directed the Distribution Companies (DisCos) to work out and implement competition transfer charges in accordance with the law, to safeguard their losses.

    He said that he will continue to monitor the impact of the policy and remain flexible to keep what works and change what does not. He urged all the stakeholders to remain open-minded, adaptive and responsive.

    His words: “The DISCOs must be interested to know that I have also issued directives to NERC to work out and implement Competition Transition Charges as provided by Law, to safeguard them from any losses.”

    The minister noted that the problem with the power sector is mostly in the distribution side of the value chain. He stressed that the ministry introduced the

    Meter Asset Provider (MAP) policy to address the meter supply gap, relieve the DISCOs of the financial burden of meters, allow entrepreneurs to take up this as a business and diversify the sources of meter supply.

    Read Also: FG to complete 21 dams, irrigation projects by 2019

    He recalled that the Regulations and Condition for its operation were issued by NERC on 8th March 2018.

    Continuing, the minister announced that “Reports reaching me indicate that there is an embracement of the policy. Entrepreneurs are showing interest and talking to banks to raise finance.

    “Some DISCOs have signed up to the Government-Supported fund of N37 Billion and we will keep an eye on the progress of the initiative.

    Government intervention in this regard is part of its role of enabling to be effective. It does not relieve the DISCOs of their contractual obligation to provide meters. On the contrary it seeks to help them perform their contract.”

    Fashola said that following the N701billion Payment Assurance Guarantee intervention for the Generation Companies (GenCos), the power producers that used to recover 20%, now record 80per cent recovery. The GenCos, he said, would prefer 100percent recovery.

    Owing to the implementation of the payment, the minister said power supply capacity has improved from 4,000MW to 7,000MW and there is an appetite by other players to participate.

    Fashola also urged the GenCos to compulsorily transparently invoice for their output, stressing that there must be harmonization of the price of gas for payment under the scheme in case of different prices from various gas suppliers.

    The minister said that “But this is only one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is that GENCOs must transparently invoice for their output and, for example, we must harmonise the price of gas for payment under the scheme, where there are differential prices arising from different Gas suppliers.”

    Fashola said that with government policy implementation, there are ongoing projects of 37,000 shops in Ariaria, about 13,000 in Sabon Gari, and about 1,000 in Sura represent SMEs, where the majority of our people earn a living.

  • FUT Minna Lecturer dismissed over sexual harassment

    The Federal University of Technology, Minna has dismissed a lecturer from the Department of Geology over an alleged case of sexual harassment.

    The dismissal of the lecturer was approved during the University Council’s 131st meeting.

    The alleged sexual harassment was against a female student in the department.

    The Council has also approved the withdrawal of 13 students for poor academic performance.

    All the affected students, except one, are Masters’ students.

    Read also: El-Rufai task students on ethical behaviour, good values

    Six of the students are from the department of Biochemistry, three from the department of Mathematics, two from the department of Mechanical Engineering and one from the department of Computer Science.

     

     

  • Saraki avoids journalists after meeting IBB in Minna

    Senate  President Bukola Saraki on Friday avoided  journalists after  holding a  private meeting with the former Military President Ibrahim Babangida at his hilltop mansion in Minna, Niger state.

    Sen. Saraki arrived IBB’s  residence at about 4.10p.m. and left at 5.50 p.m. for Minna international Airport, shunning  journalists who wanted  to interview him.

    NAN reports that Saraki drove straight to the hilltop home of the  former military  ruler in a convoy of nine vehicles.

    Saraki’s visit followed a press conference he addressed at the National Assembly,  in the wake of the blockade of the National Assembly gates by operatives of the DSS.

    In a blistering reaction , Acting President Yemi Osinbajo ruled the blockade as  illegal and unauthorised and as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order. Osinbajo then went further to sack the director-general of the DSS, Lawal Daura, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2015.

    On Wednesday, Saraki  sidestepped a question on his presidential ambition.

    He  said  he would answer the question on another day.

    “We are here today about the democracy of this country, and that is what is important to me and to all of us that are here.

    “I think when the time is right I will talk on your issue but today, we are talking about democracy in Nigeria, to defend the rule of law,” he said.

    On whether or not he would relinquish the position of Senate Presidency which he was ‘given’ under the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Saraki stressed that he was not given the position but was elected by members.

    He said that the Constitution allows any member of the Senate to stand for election as the President of the Senate irrespective of the person’s party.

    “I was not given the position as senate president. I was elected by members,” he said.

  • NiMet predicts cloudy weather, rain, thunderstorm for Saturday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy conditions over the central states of the country with prospects of thunderstorm and rain over Jalingo and Mambilla Plateau, Lafia, Minna and Abuja on Saturday morning.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Friday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 23 to 31 and 14 to 24 degrees celsius respectively.

    It added that there were chances of thunderstorm and rain over Abuja, Lokoja, Jos, Makurdi, Lafia, Minna, Ilorin and Taraba axis during the afternoon and evening hours.

    The agency predicted southern states would experience cloudy skies in the morning with day and night temperatures in the range of 25 to 31 and 21 to 24 degrees celsius respectively.

    It also predicted prospects of rain over Ado Ekiti, Akure, Oshogbo, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Lagos,
    Ijebu-Ode, Enugu, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Owerri, Asaba, Benin, Yenagoa, Port-Harcourt, Calabar and Eket axis in the afternoon and evening hours.

    According to NiMet, northern states will experience cloudy conditions over some parts of
    the northwest with thunderstorm and rain over Maiduguri,
    Potiskum, Nguru, Dutse, Gombe, Bauchi, Katsina, Gusau, Kano and Zaria
    during the morning hours.

    “However, thunderstorm is envisaged over the
    whole of this region during the afternoon and evening hours with day and night
    temperatures of 30 to 34 and 20 to 23 degrees celsius respectively.

    “Atmospheric conditions are favourable for rainfall activities across the country within the next 72 hours,” NiMet predicts.

  • Minna: Real estate as eyesore

    SIR: My positive fascination with the 16-year PDP government was the transformation that the policies of this government engendered in the infrastructural shape of towns and cities across Nigeria. This was especially evident in the banking sector boom up until 2009 when Sanusi Lamido Sanusi introduced policies that threw the growth-curve into tailspin. This infrastructural shape transformation was seen in urban gentrification whereby expanding business interests meant that businesses would buy off decaying portions of the urban built-up environment and then proceed to transform these wretched landscapes into glass-and-concrete edifices that beautify the local ambience and also encourages other holders of slum leases to sell at good prices.

    Basically, I was smugly pleased that urban gentrification was progressing well and this was especially evident at the Mobil neighbourhood of Minna, the Niger State capital where decades-old structures were gradually bought up by investors. Alas, this urban gentrification trend soon slowed and was halted when the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government was sworn in in 2015.

    Over here in Minna, the crux of this gentrification was the planned relocation of the Bosso Market away from the Ungwan Kanawa area of Bosso province of Minna to a prepared layout at the Western Bye-Pass by the PDP local government council administration that ended in 2015. Regrettably, this planned relocation was put off by the current APC government and thence lies the issue of this piece because the linear contiguous area stretching to opposite the main gate of the Bosso Campus of the Federal University of Technology Minna that would have been gentrified by relocation of the Bosso Market is actually the worst imaginable stretch of real estate in Nigeria because of the sheer rot and unimaginable eyesore that this landscape has turned into.

    There is no worse descriptor in terms of dirt and general rank that this stretch of land describes. It is a shame that a government exists as guardian of the urban landscape but is blissfully negligent of this blight on the physical soul of Minna and by extension on the biological soul of Minna, if we would.

     

    • Sunday Adole Jonah,

    FUT, Minna, Niger State.

  • NiMet predicts thunderstorms, rains, cloudy weather for Monday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted morning thunderstorms over cities in the Central States of the country such as Ilorin, Minna, Abuja, Jos, Lafia and Bauchi on Monday morning.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 25 to 33 and 18 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

    It added that there were chances of thunderstorms over Gombe, Lafia, Jos, Kaduna, Abuja, Makurdi and Lokoja axis later in the day.

    The agency predicted that southern states would experience prospect of cloudy morning with chances of rains over places like Awka, Ikom, Abakaliki, Obudu, Ogoja, Port Harcourt, Eket, Warri, Calabar, Ijebu-Ode and Lagos.

    It also predicted chances of thunderstorms and rains over most parts of the region with day and night temperatures of 27 to 31 and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, Northern States will experience cloudy condition over the Inland of the south west with possibility of light rains over the remaining parts of the region in the morning.

    It also predicted thunderstorms and rains over the entire region with day and night temperatures in the range of 27 to 32 and 20 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “Cloudy conditions with prospects of thunderstorms and rain in varying intensities are anticipated over the country within the next 24 hours” NiMet predicts.

  • Women protest blackout in Minna

    Women and children of Maitumbi yesterday marched on the streets to protest the eight-month blackout in their community.

    The protest lasted for hours in defiance to the presence of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

    The women vowed they would spend days, weeks and months on the road if nothing is done to restore power to the community.

    They lamented that the lack of electricity has brought hardship upon them as most businesses have collapsed.

    The women accused the government and management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) of nonchalance.

    A protester, Amina Sani, a widow, said she had been unable to cater for her four children because her grinding business collapsed due to lack of power.

    Regional Manager of AEDC Mr. Yahaya Jere said the community should be blamed for the blackout, but he refused to elaborate.

     

  • UNICEF calls for increase in stakeholders commitment to issues affecting children

    The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has called for increased commitment of stakeholders in Niger, including families and communities, to issues affecting children.

    Dr Zakari Adam, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Kaduna, said on Wednesday in Minna during mid-year review meeting on UNICEF activities in Niger, that such commitment was necessary to ensure healthy development of children in the state.

    “We are calling on stakeholders to improve their commitment especially at family, community levels.

    “We need their support and commitment in areas we are having challenges such as understanding the population of the state and halting traditional practice by families towards children.

    Read Also: SystemSpecs seeks special fund to drive financial inclusion

    “A situation where children who are supposed to be in school are roaming the street begging because most parents refused to enroll them in school due to some traditional belief or practice, should be discouraged ,” he said.

    Adams appealed to Niger government to treat children issues using its domestic resources before seeking for external support.

    “The international environment is not favourable in terms of fund mobilisation for UNICEF, this is why we need the cooperation of government and relevant stakeholders in the state ” he added.

    The official urged the media to back up UNICEF efforts by providing necessary information to change the perspectives of families and parents concerning children.

    The objective of the meeting was to review the progress made in the implementation of  2018 work plan, and agree on priority activities in the next six months.

    It will also review the implementation of plans on early child enrollment, routine immunisation, child feeding and hygiene and prevention of violence against children.

    NAN

  • Niger Govt. to spend N50bn on water works reticulation

    Niger State Government said on Wednesday that it would spend over N50 billion on the reticulation of Minna, Suleja, Bida and Kontagora water works.

    Gov. Abubakar Bello told newsmen in Minna that the state government would go into Public Private Partnership (PPP) to ensure adequate water supply in major towns in the state.

    We recalls that the state government had in 2016, declared a state of emergency on the water sector starting with Chanchaga water works.

    Bello said that the government had spent N2 billion on the purchase of 60 water pumps and other equipment from Germany for Chanchaga water works.

    He added that government would go into partnership with investors to instal pumps, water meter and other relevant accessories across the major towns to enhance water supply.

    “When we took over the government, we met a dilapidated water infrastructure — water pipes were broken down beyond repairs, the engines were not functioning; virtually everything was in bad shape.

    “We started with Chanchaga water works; we constructed access roads, purchased new equipment and repaired broken water pipes and engines.

    “We couldn’t fold our hands to watch our people continue to suffer for water; that was why we declared a state of emergency on water sector and I can say that we have recorded quite a success in water supply.

    “Even though major cities in the state still do not have adequate water supply, we have taken a holistic approach and doing everything possible to ensure adequate water supply.

    “We are going into partnership with investors through PPP to instal water pumps and water meters in the major cities. This is the only way can ensure regular water supply.”

    The governor called for positive attitudinal change towards maintenance of government property.

    He noted that negative attitude constituted a major problem hindering the development of the state.

    The governor appealed to the media as partners in progress, to continue to support the government by publicising its programmes.

  • Democracy Day: Please Have Faith in Us – Niger Speaker to Nigerians

    The Speaker of the Niger state House of Assembly, Honorable Ahmed Marafa has appealed to Nigerians to retain their faith in the APC led administration adding that given time, the administration would surpass their expectations.

    He stated that the government of APC came in with an unprecedented expectations from Nigerians but Nigerians are yet to be convinced based on what they expected from the administration.

    “The government of APC came in with an unprecedented expectation from Nigerians and to be sincere, a lot of Nigerians are yet to be convinced based on what they expected of this government at the federal level and even at the state level.

    “Nigerians should be patient,  they should please have faith in this government. I believe that with little time, we will be able to accomplish 70 per cent of their expectations. ”

    Read Also: ‘Nigerians yet to fully embrace trusteeship’

    Speaking to newsmen in Minna on Tuesday, the Speaker said that democracy day is not a period of celebration rather it should be used to take stock, analyse and reevaluate the government.

    He also called on Nigerians to intensify its prayers stressing that the nation is in a critical situation that only prayers can lead the people to the promise land.

    “Democracy day is a day of sober reflection, it is a period that we need to intensify our prayers and our patience because nothing comes easy. Right now, Nigeria is in a critical situation that only prayers can lead us to the promise land.

    “Right now, we do not need to start celebrating because we have not really achieved our major objective of providingvsime basic amenities to  Nigerians and Nigerlites. We should use it as a period of stocktaking, sit down and analyze our government, see areas we are performing and where we are not and see what we can do to improve it. ”

    Margaret who said that three years is not enough period for one to assess a government considering that a particular government have been in in power for 16 years stated that objectively the APC administration had done relatively well.